User blog:LB
When the regular lawkeepers come up against so much red tape that they can't continue without causing a stupid national or international incident or two, the Private Detective and Security Agencies were born, and cause they didn't really have to adhear by the same rules, they could easily go into another country to hunt someone down when the normal law couldn't. Today we have two of the most famous examples of Private Detective and Security companies ready to face off. In one corner, we have the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, the 'original' US Secret Service until the official Secret Service was founded in 1865. In the other corner we have the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency, an agency who started off as guards on trains, mine payrolls, and investigators of robberies on the aformentioned objects. When the rounds are let loose and the bullets finish flying, which group of Detectives will emerge as the victor!? Pinkerton National Detective Agency The Pinkerton National Detective Agency was founded in 1850 by Allan Pinkerton after consultations with six midwestern railroads, and opened the first office in Chicago. It's first few years were rather uneventful, until Pinkerton and his agency supposedly 'foiled' a plot to kill Abe Lincoln, which led to them being hired as the first Presidently Bodyguards. The first big case was when they were hired to infiltrate the 'Molly MacGuires,' a labor organization of mostly Irish Coal Miners, which led to it's downfall years later. Things were great for the Pinkertons. By the 1890's, there were so many armed Pinkerton Detectives, that they outnumbered the US Army at the time (which led the Agency to be banned from Ohio). Pinkertons had a generally good name, having chased outlaws such as the James Gang, the Reno Gang, and Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch. In 1892, their name was slandered when they were hired to break the Homestead Strike, which resulted in gunfire, killing several steelworkers and Pinkerton Agents. Their were then several other bad cases of Pinkertons opening fire on strikers. Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency The Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency was founded in the early 1890's by William Baldwin as the Baldwin Detective Agency. It was originally in the Virginia area, created to supervise security in the Norfolk & Western Railroads coalfield districts. In 1910, Baldwin was joined by lawyer Thomas Felts, who had his named added in that year to the company name. Originally just guarding trains and mine payrolls, and then turned to detective work. They became known for crime busting after they tracked down the Allen family, who had been involved in a fire fight that had left several dead and wounded at the Carroll County Courthouse. After the decline of train banditry, they turned to other fields. One was strike-busting, where they were known to take part in the Paint Creek-Cabin Creek strike that left 50+ dead, and also the Ludlow Massacre which left 25 miners dead and 4 Baldwin-Felts agents dead. It was these events that left the people of the Labor Unions to regard the Detectives as nothing better than armed thugs. Weapons of the Pinkertons These are the weapons that the Pinkerton Agents will be using in the ensuing Firefight. Melee: Clip Point Knife (a general group of knives including the Bowie and other similiary designed knives). *Overall Length: 20 inches *Blade Length: 12 inches *Weight: between 1 lb 4 oz. and 2 lbs Primary Sidearm: Colt Model 1851 Navy Revolver *Overall Length: 13 inches *Weight: 2.6 lbs *Action: Single-Action Revolver *Cartridge: .38 Rimfire *Feed system: 6-round cylinder Primary Rifle: Henry Repeating Rifle *Overall Length: 44.75 inches *Barrel Length: 24 inches *Weight: 9 lbs 4 oz. *Cartridge: .44 Henry Rimfire *Action: Breech-loading Lever-Action *Feed system: 16 round Tubular Magazine Secondary Rifle: Spencer Rifle *Overall Length: 47 inches *Barrel Length: 30 inches *Weight: 10 lbs *Cartridge: .56-56 Spencer *Action: Manually cocked, lever-action *Feed system: 7 round Tubular Magazine Shotgun: Coach Gun *Overall Length: 39 inches *Barrel(s) Length: 18 inches *Caliber: 10 Gauge *Action: Break Action *Feed system: 2 rounds, one per barrel Weapons of the Baldwin-Felts These are the weapons that the Baldwin-Felts Detectives will be packing for heat. Melee: Maxam Knife *Overall Length: 16.5 inches *Weight: 2 lbs Primary Sidearm: Smith & Wesson Model 3 *Overall Length: 12 inches *Barrel Length: 6.5 inches *Weight: 2.9 lbs *Cartridge: .44 Smith & Wesson American *Action: Single-Action Revolver *Feed system: 6 round cylinder Primary Rifle: Winchester Model 1886 *Overall Length: 44.5 inches *Barrel Length: 26 inches *Weight: 9 lbs *Cartridge: .45-70 *Action: Lever Action *Feed System: 9-round tube magazine Secondary Rifle: Sharps Rifle *Overall Length: 47 inches *Weight: 9.5 lbs *Cartridge: .45-70 *Action: Falling Block Shotgun: Colt Model 1878 *Barrel Length: 28 inches *Gauge: 10 X-Factors The Pinkertons and the Baldwin-Felts both tackle the same kind of problems, whether it be train robberies, guarding important people, or (rather violently) ending worker strikes and butting heads with labor unions. The Pinkertons come out on top here because of the fact that the company has been around longer, so it's tackled way more problems. It is also the only one to have charged out of country to chase someone. Both the Pinkertons and the Baldwin-Felts are known for ruthlessly cracking down upon strikes and riots. In all the 'battles' they have participated in (they call things like the Homestead Strike and whatnot battles), the death toll has been higher in the ones that the Baldwin-Felts have taken part in (I did this by just adding up the death toll for these actions, not counting the casualties for the Agency. The Pinks had 120, while the Baldwin-Felts had 178, and that's just the ones I've heard of). Both the Pinkertons and the Baldwin-Felts were feared by labor unions and strike organizers due to their violence and brutality against the strikers when the bullets started flying. This goes to the Pinkertons due to the fact that during the Homestead Strike of 1892, Pinkertons opened fire on unarmed steel workers who were refusing to let them pass, which scattered the workers. Actions like that lead to greater fear and intimidation. Although Allan Pinkerton did (supposedly) chase down a would-be assassin of Abraham Lincoln down the rainy streets one time, he didn't take part in very many of the chases that the Pinkertons were famous for undertaking, well, while working as a Pinkerton anyway. He did go undercover as Union Major E.J. Allen while working for the Union Intelligent Service. The Baldwin-Felts win here becuase William Baldwin and Thomas Felts would frequently accompany their detectives on missions (in fact, both of Thomas Felts' brothers Albert and Lee were killed at the 'Battle of Matewan). Unlinke the Balwin-Felts, which just operated in North America, the Pinkerton Agents have had experience operating all over the world. One example is when they chased Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid all the way to Bolivia.. only to be beaten to the kill by three Bolivian soldiers, the towns mayor, some officials, and the towns Police Chief. Well, I shouldn't say that they were beaten to the kill, because Butch and Sundance killed themselves.. but you get the idea. Battle The town was rather small, and had few alleys, and single criminal was on the run, gasping and panting. He could hear the bootsteps of the pursuing authorities behind him. He tore around a corner, only to be confronted by five armed men. These men were dressed differently, but one looked over at him for a few seconds, before attempting to apprehend him. He turned around, only to be confronted by the five men who had been originally chasing him... wait, four men and one woman. He hadn't seen that coming. He looked between both groups of detectives, not sure which he would rather take his chances with. Meanwhile, both groups of detectives had finally managed to take notice of the other group, and something of a silent standoff commenced. Finally, a rather fat-looking man wearing a bowler hat and smoking a cigar, yelled something along the lines of telling the other group to get lost. His badge (which appeared to be solid silver) easily read 'Pinkerton Detective Agency' on it, and the man could easily read the name on the badges of the other group. it read 'Baldwin-Felts.' With both groups obviously not in the mood to stand down, one of the Pinkerton Agents made a move that sent a message of about how this standoff was going to end.... He went and cocked the hammers on his coach gun. - - - - - - - - Pinkertons: ''' '''Baldwin-Felts: Everyone tensed at the clicking sound of the hammers of a shotgun being cocked. Blood would be spilled today, all because of a fight over a criminal. Then everything happened at once. The head Baldwin-Felts man quickly pulled out his Schofield and fired into the group of Pinkertons, the bullet striking a man holding a Spencer squarely in the chest, dropping him dead . The Pinkertons momentarily scattered, two of the men and the woman scattering out into one of the town squares, while the last man tore off down an alleyway. The Felts then split into two groups: four men would head out into the square, while one would chase the one that had split off. The group then split. 'Pinkertons: ' The three Pinkertons had taken cover out in the square: a second man with a Spencer had taken cover behind a fountain, a man with a Henry Repeater had overturned a bench, and the woman (who had drawn her Colt 1851), had taken cover in the lee of a doorway. When the four Baldwin-Felts detectives had emerged into the square the man with the Spencer popped up from behind the fountain and fired, striking the Baldwin carrying a Sharps rifle in the neck, making him fall to the ground clutching his neck . His fire was soon returned by two Baldwin-Felts detectives, one with a Winchester and the other with his Colt Shotgun. He ducked back down behind the fountain, marble chipping peppering his face. He rose up again to fire only to be shot by the third Baldwin-Felts agent in the square, being shot in the face with the man's Winchester . 'Pinkertons: ' 'Baldwin-Felts: ' While the bullets were flying out in the square, the one Baldwin-Felts agent had caught up with the one Pinketon detective in the alleyways. This was the Pinkerton with the shotgun, he turned briefly and fired a barrel of the coach gun towards the pursuing Baldwin-Felts agent, which missed. The Baldwin-Felts man drew his sidearm and fired two shots with his revolver, the Pinkerton man dodged, and used his shotgun as a crude club, hitting his adversary in the side with the shotgun, which caused the man to drop his revolver. The Pinkerton then recieved a punch in the nose, dropping the shotgun. They both drew their knives and took turns trying to stab each other. A close slash with the Baldwin's Maxam knife hit the Pinkerton in the cheek, drawing out a jagged cut on his cheek. The Pinkerton landed a stab with his clip point knife, getting the man square in the chest with his the knife. A bit of blood trickled from the Baldwin's agents mouth, before the Pinkerton withdrew the knife and the man fell to the ground . The man pulled out his Colt Navy and then took off towards where all the gunfire was occuring. 'Baldwin-Felts: ' In the town square, the two Pinkertons had been doing their best to hold off the three Baldwin-Felts with combined fire from their Henry and Colt. The Pinkerton with the Henry managed to land a few hits on one of the Baldwin-Felts wielding a Winchester , only to be cut down by a blast from the shotgun . 'Pinkertons: ' 'Baldwin-Felts: ' The remaining Baldwin-Felt wielding a Winchester motioned for the other with the shotgun to reload and advance upon the position of the female Pinkerton Detective. The man broke open his shotgun, placed in two fresh rounds, and started advancing upon the lee of the doorway with the head Baldwin-Felt covering him with the Winchester. The female Pinkerton quickly checked the cylinder of her Colt Navy. Three. She took a breath and pulled the hammer back on her revolver. The moment she revealed herself was also the moment that the Pinkerton from the alleyway burst out. He aimed and fired two wild rounds of his revolver at the head Baldwin-Felt agent, only to be cut down by returned fire from the Baldwin-Felt . The Baldwin-Felt with the shotgun turned his head to see what was going on. That was a chance she needed, and she whirled out of cover and fired the Colt Navy at almost point blank into the shotgun wielding Baldwin-Felt, hitting him squarely in the chest witht he fired round . Two rounds left. 'Pinkertons: ' 'Baldwin-Felts: ' The head Baldwin-Felt agent whirled around upon the revolver shot and saw his last remaining man fall to the ground dead. He raised his Winchester and squeezed the trigger, only for no round to come out. He dropped his Winchester and drew his own Schofield, and charged forward at the Female Pinkerton, firing his Schofield as he went. The Pinkerton emptied her Colt Navy, only the Baldwin-Felt to drop his shoulder and ram her into the wall of the building. The wind was knocked out of her and she slumped to the ground, the only good thing being the Baldwin-Felt dropped his Schofield in the process. The Baldwin-Felt drew his Maxam knife, and prepared to finish her off, but she managed to draw her clip point and feebly knock the blade away from her, making her adversary's aim go off and instead drive the knife into her arm. She yelped and shoved the Baldwin-Felt away with her remaining arm, making him stumble back. She struggled to her feet, picking up her clip point again as the Baldwin-Felt made another charge, slashing wildy with his Maxam, landing one across her chest. She stumbled and fell onto her back. Her arm let go of the clip point and started frantically feeling around for something useful to use as her last adversary stood over her. Her hand close around something and she brought it up in front of her. The Baldwin-Felt basically gaped as he found himself staring down the barrel of his own Schofield revolver. The Pinkerton smiled weakly as she pulled the trigger, firing the gun into the Baldwin-Felts face . 'Pinkertons: ' 'Baldwin-Felts: ' - - - - - - - -''' ''' As the last Baldwin-Felt tumbled over backwards, the remaining Pinkerton managed to get to her feet, her arm going to clutch her other arm, which had the horrid stab would from the maxam knife. Bleeding from the arm and the chest, she looked over the town square... this had gone to hell pretty quickly. She then looked back at where they had all come from... well, the criminal got away. She grumbled something before she started to stumble off towards the nearest doctor. Expert's Opinion The voters believe that the Pinkertons would of won this battle do to the fact that they trumped the Baldwin-Felts in both operational experience and in firepower. The Baldwin-Felts may of had the more advanced weapons, but the fact that the Pinkertons could simply spew out more rounds at about the same distances gave them that win. That, and the Baldwin-Felts had only ever faced helpless strikers before in battle. They had never faced an organized enemy that was on their same level of confidence and training. That, and to put it simply, the Pinkertons had faced more dangerous enemies also, whether it be the James Gang or Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch. The Baldwin-Felts were simply armed thugs outclassed by an organized, better group of armed thugs who knew what they were doing. Category:Blog posts